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Americans are an eclectic lot. Although rich diversity is among the nation’s tremendous assets, it also contributes to factions that unnecessarily alienate and divide the citizenry. The National Day of Prayer is an ideal opportunity to set those differences aside and come together with a collective, unified voice.

The 56th Annual National Day of Prayer took place Thursday, May 3. The theme for this year, “America, Unite in Prayer,” was based on 2 Chronicles 7:14, which states: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

“A prayerful spirit has always been an important part of our national character, and it is a force that has guided the American people, given us strength, and sustained us in moments of joy and in times of challenge,” President George W. Bush said in the this year’s proclamation from the White House. “On this National Day of Prayer, we acknowledge God’s grace and ask for His continued guidance in the life of our nation.”

Although the National Day of Prayer was established in 1952, when President Harry Truman signed it into law, the first request for such a day pre-dates the nation itself. In 1775, the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation. Roughly a century later, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln, too, called for a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer.” In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May.

The National Day of Prayer has great significance for the United States as a nation. It enables contemporary generations to recall and to teach the way in which America’s founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions. National Day of Prayer stands as a call for everyone – across all walks of life – to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for the leaders and His grace upon the citizens as a people.

Furthermore, the unanimous passage of the bill establishing the National Day of Prayer as an annual event signifies that prayer is as important to our nation today as it was in the beginning. This year’s “Prayer for Our Nation” was written by Dr. Charles R. Swindoll.

2007 Prayer for Our Nation

Almighty God, we pause to reflect on Your character as we seek wisdom for such a time as this.

In these unsafe days,
You remain all-powerful and able to protect;

In these uncertain times,
You remain all-knowing, leading us aright;

In the unprecedented events we’re facing,
You remain absolutely sovereign.
Our times are in Your hands.

Horror and disbelief bewildered the nation Monday when a gunman unleashed his rage upon innocent students and faculty at Virginia Tech, turning the picturesque campus into the scene of the deadliest school shooting in American history.

Initial details as to what precipitated the massacre were sketchy and continue to unfold, but this much is known: when the rampage was over, 33 lives had come to an abrupt end. As the ripple effect of the tragedy spreads sorrow and anguish far beyond Blacksburg, a disquieting aura of deja vu hangs over the nation.

A Tech student being interviewed by a TV news reporter referred to the incident as “the college Columbine.” It’s tragically sad for America that this week’s violent outburst isn’t the first; it’s just the most recent, and for now – the most deadly.

In the eight years that have passed since Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 15 people and wounded another 23 at Columbine High School in Colorado, there have been at least 22 similar slayings on school grounds in 16 states. Prior to Monday, the death toll stood at 35, with 31 people among the wounded.

“It’s all too common that by the time young people reach the tender age of 16, they’ve already killed thousands of people or creatures ‘virtually’ with realistic splatter and gore. Keep in mind that studies in neuroscience have shown that the human brain treats vividly imagined events and real ones almost identically,” said Pastor Parsley. “Thus, when the time comes to level a real gun at a real schoolmate, any tendency toward remorse or conscience will have been eliminated. They will already have ‘been there’ many times before.”

America is in desperate need of prayer. Bible-believing Christians know that there is a way to restore the sacred value human life holds.

“If my people, which are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14.

People of faith hold the key to transforming classrooms and other public places into the peaceful places they once were. At this pivotal moment in history, God’s children must step forward and become agents of change. If Christians fail to extend His love and compassion, anger and violence will decimate the nation.

Americans are an eclectic lot. Although rich diversity is among the nation’s tremendous assets, it also contributes to factions that unnecessarily alienate and divide the citizenry. The National Day of Prayer is an ideal opportunity to set those differences aside and come together with a collective, unified voice.

The 56th Annual National Day of Prayer took place Thursday, May 3. The theme for this year, “America, Unite in Prayer,” was based on 2 Chronicles 7:14, which states: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

“A prayerful spirit has always been an important part of our national character, and it is a force that has guided the American people, given us strength, and sustained us in moments of joy and in times of challenge,” President George W. Bush said in the this year’s proclamation from the White House. “On this National Day of Prayer, we acknowledge God’s grace and ask for His continued guidance in the life of our nation.”

Although the National Day of Prayer was established in 1952, when President Harry Truman signed it into law, the first request for such a day pre-dates the nation itself. In 1775, the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation. Roughly a century later, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln, too, called for a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer.” In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May.

The National Day of Prayer has great significance for the United States as a nation. It enables contemporary generations to recall and to teach the way in which America’s founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions. National Day of Prayer stands as a call for everyone – across all walks of life – to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for the leaders and His grace upon the citizens as a people.

Furthermore, the unanimous passage of the bill establishing the National Day of Prayer as an annual event signifies that prayer is as important to our nation today as it was in the beginning. This year’s “Prayer for Our Nation” was written by Dr. Charles R. Swindoll.

2007 Prayer for Our Nation

Almighty God, we pause to reflect on Your character as we seek wisdom for such a time as this.

In these unsafe days,
You remain all-powerful and able to protect;

In these uncertain times,
You remain all-knowing, leading us aright;

In the unprecedented events we’re facing,
You remain absolutely sovereign.
Our times are in Your hands.

What a horror story is coming out of Virginia Tech, where a gunman has reportedly killed at least 31 people.

Our only response to this kind of tragedy, as believers in Jesus Christ, is to pray. There is nothing more powerful.

Please pray for the students, staff and faculty of Virginia Tech.

Pray also for the families of the students, and especially for the families of the victims. This is a shocking and appalling tragedy, and their lives have been forever impacted.

And pray that God’s power and love will be rediscovered by those who have come face-to-face with the frailty of life. This is a moment when people are desperate to find reasons … and hope.

It could be the moment when they turn to Jesus Christ, to the Creator of the universe.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:12-13).

Your prayers will make a great impact on the students, staff and families of Virginia Tech today.

Members of Congress have issued a bipartisan appeal for non-stop prayer. The Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation – a group of lawmakers who meet weekly for prayer – held a news conference last week and urged Americans to commit to pray for the nation and its leaders for five minutes a week.

Founded in 2005, the Prayer Caucus meets every week that Congress is in session. Members of the caucus gather together and “lay aside party affiliations, political agendas, and individual schedules” to pray together, focusing on God’s promise found in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, who are called by my Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and heal their land.”

With its membership now nearing 10 percent of the House, the caucus recently announced plans to spread “219 Prayer Groups” across the country, the objective being to establish “spiritual blocks” that will comprise a “wall of prayer” around America. A page on the Prayer Caucus Web site promotes the effort and permits individuals to commit to pray five minutes a week for the nation and its leaders.

During a news conference on Capitol Hill, congressmen issued the bipartisan appeal for non-stop prayer.

“Every one of us who stands here today is here by the grace of God,” said Rep. Al Green, D-Texas. “Not one of us had earned the right to be where we are. So we should give God not only the prayers to deliver us, but also the glory once we are delivered.”